The international day of the rural women
is commemorated every October 15th as way to recognize their efforts
towards humanity. Just with a hoe, these women and
girls continue to make significant contributions in ensuring the sustainability
of rural households, communities, towns and cities. UN Women however recognizes that these “women
account for a substantial proportion of the agricultural labour force,
including informal work, and perform the bulk of unpaid care and domestic work
within families and households in rural areas. They make significant
contributions to agricultural production, food security and nutrition, land and
natural resource management, and building climate resilience”. Yet they
continue to live in abject poverty and misery. The paradox is that the UN also
recognizes that these women produce about 80% of the food in Asia and Sub
Saharan Africa, serving as breadbasket to2.5 billion people.
Un
Secretary General-Antonio Guterres describes the rural women "as early
adopters of new agricultural techniques, first responders in crises and
entrepreneurs of green energy, rural women are a powerful force that can drive
global progress”.
One of the biggest threats the world is
facing today is the phenomenon of climate change. As humanity is on bended
knees in the face of this global quagmire, the UN has decided that this year’s
theme should reflect the role and contribution by the rural women and girls. The
theme: Building Resilience to face climate crisis. Literally, this is
great recognition given that the rural woman is the custodian of nature and her
surrounding yet she owns absolutely nothing. Imagine that a woman who passes 6
out of 7 days of the week in the farm doesn’t even own a tree and not to talk
of land. For example, she take a pear to the farm, eats, sows the seed and when
it germinates, she takes care and when it starts producing, that tree becomes
the property of the husband who goes to the farm three times in a year ( to
clear, assist in planting crops like maize and to assist in carrying the
harvest home). If the rural woman can plant and own trees, the fight against
climate change will be an easy ride but if she still suffers from the male
artificial barriers, the world will remain vulnerable to climate change. The time
is now.
If not there is no doubt that these
women will keep adapting to the changes in climate like a toad placed in a
heating gar that keeps adapting to the changing temperature without any
support.
Climate change adaption needs to move
from conference hall, symposiums and seminar halls into the field where the
most resilient actors are. If the UN can make it in such a way that every rural
woman and girl plants just a tree each, take care to ensure that it survives,
the fight against climate change will be very successful one and less stressful.
When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)
